Pedestrian hit by vehicle near E Rillito St in Tucson, Tucson AZ

It feels like every week we’re hearing about another senseless loss of life on our roads. Just a few nights ago, it happened again. And last Thursday, two young University of Arizona students were killed — the third, who survived the crash, later died from injuries. Three young lives gone, families shattered, futures erased — all because of someone’s reckless decision to drink and drive. The people who choose to drive drunk don’t just destroy their own lives — they steal the lives of others and leave parents, siblings, and friends carrying a life sentence of grief. It’s past time for serious change. There should be a mandatory 10-year prison sentence for anyone caught driving under the influence before they kill someone — and even harsher penalties for hit-and-run offenders. We need a statewide campaign that pushes for real, enforceable laws with real consequences. Let the offenders suffer the penalty — instead of making innocent families suffer the loss.